The Candlelit Booth
by Lara1221
Summary: James, Lily, and one particular corner booth in the Three Broomsticks, that endured more love and loathing and laughter than anywhere else.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own the characters and world that this story is set in. I also don't own the candle on the cover, property the artist.

**A/N: **So this is going to be a small multi-chapter, but this first chapter is meant to be able to stand alone as a one shot for various comps. Each chapter is probably going to be a bit longer than this first one, maybe 2100 words or so. This is basically the progression of James and Lily's relationship through Hogwarts, all told from the three broomsticks. Every chapter will feature this booth at one point. This is the only one written around Rosmerta; I thought it would be a nice prologue. There will be seven of them, because everyone knows JK rowling loves that number.

**(just skip this next stuff) **Written for:

**Tien Len comp: rnd 2: 6 of hearts: **Rosmerta, halfway, "You've done something different.", "Just tell me right now where do you fit in with mud in your eye and a passion for gin."- The Who 'They Are All In Love'**; Relationship Bingo challenge: **Marauders square, OTP square, fluff square**; ****Ffn terms comp: PM: **write about someone lonely**; wizard sweets challenge: **pumpkin juice**; Title Acrostics challenge: chp. 3: T:** tapping fingers action prompt**; not your story comp: **write someone's story from another POV**; wand wood comp: rowan: **write about your OTP**; test limits comp: rnd 6: **JamesLily; song**; spells comp: geminio: **write about the Marauder's era**; tv show comp: bones: **write about two people denying feelings for each other**;**

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The Beginning

Today had been a long one at the Broomsticks, and it was not pass noon yet. Rosmerta Popplewell looked at the clock and let out a heavy sigh. Back at Hogwarts, she thought it would be amazing to work shifts at the Broomsticks, and someday taking over: seeing the regulars that just need a break, keeping up with the schoolyard gossip, plenty eligible bachelors living in town, a bustling town where everything you could need or want was at your fingertips. All of them magical, too, in Hogsmeade, which was a nice change from her home in Muggle London, despite her half-blood heritage; her parents preferred it.

She loved people, really, and this was what she had always been good at: pleasing, entertaining; giving people a good time. Everyone wanted a good time.

But the bartender in her school years, her coworker now, really had romanticized it, she determined. The landlady then, a woman near her mother's age by the name of Cordelia had always had this warm, welcoming face, excited to serve and talk to the unique faces that wandered in a daily basis.

And Rosmerta had enjoyed those things, too. She did enjoy those things, and working at the Broomsticks for the past seven years had been _almost_ everything she'd expected it to be. She wasn't an idiot- working is hard, especially after only a five hour school day five days a week, with huge breaks during parts of the year.

But right now, Rosmerta wanted a good time. That's all she was asking for. A break from these kids and old men and gamblers and joint smokers and a weekend away with her friends, or a night out with a date. She hadn't dated in about four months- hook ups, sure, but an honest to Godric relationship. She was lonely, and tired, and it _wasn't even noon yet._

And just when she was about to give up hope on an interesting day, a mumbled conversation of three school girls caught her attention. Its not as if they were whispering, and Rosmerta listened in in hopes of something interesting to come about.

"I'm telling you, Lily, it's not going to work."

"Severus is my friend. He was my very first, and the closest one I have. My sister turned her back on me and he was there, and even though we're in separate houses he still talks to me and studies with me. We're close, we're always going to be. It's not about to _stop_ _working_ because he's pretending to be friends with those creeps."

The girls were just heading to a corner booth, and despite the size of it they sat huddled together. The first to talk, a girl with short, curly dark hair and those deeply expressive eyes some girls have, hers hazel, moved the candelabra to the otherside of the table so she could speak with her hands and not knock something over.

She almost knocked it over anyway, with the next statement. "_Pretending?!_ Have you gone loony, Lily? He's one of them! When's the last time you haven't been bothered by his conversations? Don't even try lying; you tell us everything."

The girl with the ridiculously expressive mannerisms was speaking to Lily, she presumed, a girl with thick, ruby red waves and green eyes, a brighter shade of Rosmerta's own. She was a gorgeous girl, especially for her age; Rosmerta knew they were third years since she hadn't seen them here before. But the dark haired girl, and the last friend: tanner than her friends, with sky blue eyes and a sheet of blonde hair, were beautiful as well.

The blonde was nodding fervently, presumably agreeing with her friend's statement.

"Come on, Marly," Lily said to the blonde one, Marlene she now knew, "I thought you'd be on my side!"

"No way, Lils. We wouldn't be friends if we didn't tell you the truth. Mary's right. You can't see what's right in front of you. Severus Snape is a right arse, no other way about it. I really thought he was nice, Lily, these past two years, but come _on_, can't you see what he's become?"

"That statement could be improved a bit, McKinnon," said a loud voice from behind Rosmerta, the sort of voice that didn't need to be loud to get attention, and she snapped her head around to see where it came from. This boy was recognizable almost anywhere; the young, rebellious Black. All the rage in the _Prophet _a couple years ago, breaking tradition and all. _Let down the family_, or some nonsense like that. Frankly, Rosmerta thought it was all a load of bollocks.

Beside him was a lanky, messy haired boy with wire-rimmed square glasses, and he had his sparkling hazel eyes set on only one thing: Lily. When she looked at Lily's face, it wore an expression of deep loathing and disgust, and Rosmerta laughed out loud.

"C'mon, Sirius, be reasonable," said another boy beside the two, who had an air of wisdom about him, nudging his friend's shoulder. Sirius's mischevous blue eyes flashed in his direction. "Snape isn't _all_ bad. I mean, he _can_ be an arse, sure, and he doesn't really like..._people_. Sorry, Lily," the boy gave the redhead an apologetic smile. And then something sparked in his eyes, and he spoke again. "However, Lily's bright, isn't she? Just because Snape isn't friends with any of us doesn't mean Lily doesn't know what she's talking about."

Lily beamed. "Thank you, Remus. Hi, Peter," she added, looking at a rather plump boy behind the others. Rosmerta didn't even know he was there. Peter gave a wave to the girls, who waved back in a friendly gesture. Finally, her gaze moved to the tall boys in the front and middle with identical, maniacal grins. "Potter. Black," she practically spat. "Did you want something?"

"Why, Evans, it's such a pleasure to see you too. Of course, we'd like to sit with you, thank you for asking!" proclaimed Sirius, as Potter already began strutting over.

"Mary," greeted Potter to the dark-haired girl, giving her his most charming grin. "Could you move over a bit so that we might bless you pleasure of our company."

Lily was stammering indignantly, going red in the face, apparently so much so she couldn't get a word out.

"James," replied Mary, giving him her best glare. "Lily would like you to know that under no circumstances is a goddamn, no good boy like you allowed to sit here. And we've already pissed our best friend off quite a bit today, so we would appreciate it if you would _piss. Off._"

Remus sighed, moving to stand beside James. "You're embarassing yourself," he told the other boy, and Rosmerta covered her snort with a cough. Remus said, "Hullo," and instantly, all three girls moved to the side so that both he and Peter could sit down. The tips of James's ears grew red, scowling at Lily. She only smirked in return.

"Why is it, Evans, that you hate me so much?"

"That can't be a serious question."

"It bloody well is. All I've ever been done is be nice to you, and you go around like I'm the person you'd most want to see burst into flames."

"You can't just decide to be nice to the one girl in School that you have a little crush on, James. Maybe, if you weren't such an arse to everyone else, including said girl's _best friend_, she'd stare at you with a bit less loathing. Though I wouldn't push your luck."

Rosmerta had never seen two people who were both so quick witted, shooting back comeback after comeback for what seemed like five minutes. At one point, she thought she saw Black ignore them all together and turn to look straight at Rosmerta, saying simply "Hey. It's Rosie, isn't it?" as if he expected for her to fall at his feet, as if she was wooed unconditionally. Rosmerta could've slapped him upside the head. When it seemed his charm was lost on someone ten years his senior, he tried it again with Marlene.

And right when she thought there couldn't be any more arguing, it seemed that Mary had begun an all out words with the united front of Remus and Peter, on one of the oldest topics of the age: vanilla versus chocolate.

The best, though, was still the red-faced redhead versus the infatuated school boy who was despised by his 'one true love.' In all honesty, Rosmerta didn't think she had seen something quite as amusing since her school days. It seemed their entire argument went back and forth about nothing in particular excpet for pointing out each other's flaws. It ended with a bellowed "I don't care!" from James, alerting all of the patrons in the restaurant at the moment, after which he promptly stopped over, and took a seat, daring anyone to care. If looks could kill, the daggers Lily's eyes were shooting him would've killed him a thousand times over.

Rosmerta settled in to her barstool, satisfied both that she had had an entertaining day and that the lunch hour rush was over.

Because she knew it. Right there, in that corner booth, overflowing with Gryffindor third years, was a story. One that would be for the ages, no doubt.

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**I really hope you liked it! Please drop a review, follow, fave, if you did!**


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